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舳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
舳zhúthe stern of a shipx, 11 strokes, radical 舟
舳zhúpoopdeckunknown, 11 strokes, radical 舟
舳zhústern of boatunknown, 11 strokes, radical 舟
zhú(zhu2) T2
  1. 1the stern of a ship
  2. 2poopdeck
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March 24, 2026

舳zhú(zhu2)

舳 (zhú) refers to the stern or rear part of a ship or boat, specifically the poop deck. This term is often used in nautical contexts and indicates the location where steering and navigation occur, as well as a place for crew activities.

Strokes11Radical舟
Cultural Note

In Chinese maritime history, the design and structure of ships were crucial for trade and defense. 舳 emphasizes the importance of the stern in ship navigation, reflecting the country's rich seafaring traditions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large ship with a grand stern where the captain stands. The character 舳 looks like a ship (the radical 舟) with a roof (the radical 亘) on top, symbolizing the protective structure of the stern. 'Zhú' sounds like 'Jewel,' representing the valuable command center of the ship at the back.

Meanings of 舳

zhú(zhu2)
1the stern of a ship
2poopdeck
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 舳

舳Simplified
11Strokes
舟Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 舳

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Podcast: 舳

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AI Study Notes for 舳

Usage Notes

舳 is a formal term primarily used in maritime contexts. A common mistake is to confuse it with 船 (chuán), meaning 'boat' in general. Pay attention to using 舳 in appropriate contexts, such as discussions about navigation or shipbuilding.

HSK Study Tips

Since 舳 is not an HSK level character, learners should focus on related nautical vocabulary and characters associated with ships (like 船, 舟). Understanding the context in which 舳 is used will aid in comprehension and retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 舳 with 船, mistakenly using 舳 to refer to any boat. Correctly, 舳 should only be used when specifying the stern of a ship.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 舳

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Etymology of 舳

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

ship

Semantic (meaning)舟
+
Phonetic (sound)由
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 舳

  1. 1The meaning half舟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half由 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayship
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 舳? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 舳?

Decomposition of 舳

IDS Structure⿰舟由
舳Full Character
=
舟zhou1
left
由you2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 舳?

How to say the stern of a ship in Chinese

“the stern of a ship” in Chinese is舳zhú

舳 (zhú) refers to the stern or rear part of a ship or boat, specifically the poop deck. This term is often used in nautical contexts and indicates the location where steering and navigation occur, as well as a place for crew activities.

When to use 舳

舳 is a formal term primarily used in maritime contexts. A common mistake is to confuse it with 船 (chuán), meaning 'boat' in general. Pay attention to using 舳 in appropriate contexts, such as discussions about navigation or shipbuilding.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 舳 with 船, mistakenly using 舳 to refer to any boat. Correctly, 舳 should only be used when specifying the stern of a ship.

Write 舳

舳

Practice writing 舳 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Cultural Notes for 舳

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

While 'stern' in Western contexts may simply refer to the back of a boat, in Chinese culture, 舳 encompasses both the physical structure and its navigational significance, highlighting a deeper connection to maritime activities.

Word Family of 舳

Words Containing This Character1
舳zhúpoopdeck
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 舳 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 舳

The pronunciation is zhú, with a rising tone similar to the English word 'jewel'.

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